Daniel Defoe and Robinson Crusoe-丹尼尔·笛福与《鲁滨逊漂流记》
Robinson Crusoe is the hero4 of the novel. He worked as a sea man on board a ship, which was lost in a storm. He was thrown up on an island, where nobody else lived. After overcoming a great many diffic ulties, he settled down on the island. He made a house to live in; he ma de a lamp to give light; he made pots to boil food; he grew corn to ma ke bread; he made a boat to carry things...Twenty-eight years passed befo re an English ship picked him up and brought him back to England. In t his book, Defoe sang highly of5 labour and man’s struggle against natur e. The following is the first three sections of the story simplified6 by Mi chael West. You’ll find it easy to read. If you are interested in knowing more of the story, try to find a copy of the simplified version7 in your s chool library.
I was born in the year 1632, in the city of York, of a good family. At a very early age I wanted to go to sea. My father was a wise man, a nd he begged me not to do so. For a time I decided not to think of it a ny more. But one day in the city of Hull I met a friend who was going to sea on his father’s ship. He asked me to go with him. Then, withou t asking my father, without asking for God’s blessing8,without any thoug ht of the result, I went on board the ship.
On the same day we left Hull, meaning to go to9 the African coast. We guided the ship as if we were going to the island of Fernando de Noronha. Then we passed to the east of that island. After a few days the
re came a fearful storm. The wind and the waves threw the ship this wa y and that for 12 days. The ship was badly broken and a lot of water w as coming in. Then one of our men, early in the morning, cried out, ‘L and!’Just after that, the ship ran on to some sand. The waves came over the ship, and we knew that very soon it would be broken to pieces. We had a small boat on board; we let the boat down into the water, an
d got into it. When w
e had gone some distance in the boat, a great wav
e came from behind. “Oh God!”We cried and we were all thrown into the water.
A great wave took me and carried me on towards the shore. It left me on the land, badly hurt. I was very weak, but I got up on my feet a nd ran up to a dry place and lay there more deadly than alive.10 After a time I was sick11 and threw up12 a great deal of sea water which had got into my stomach. Then I wanted to rest; but I dared not sleep on the ground for fear of being eaten by wild beasts.
So I climbed up onto a tree, and remained there until mornin g. I was sure that all my friends had been killed and I alone had been s aved. I was very tired and I quickly fell asleep.
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